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If you’re wondering what it’s like living in a palatial property and calling it your residence, look to Princess Rajyashree Kumari of Bikaner to get a glimpse into the royal life. Built between 1902 and 1926 by Maharaja Ganga Singh of Bikaner, the Lallgarh Palace is located 3 kilometres from the city of Bikaner. It is owned by Princess Rajyashree Kumari of Bikaner who is the daughter of Maharaja Dr Karni Singhji, granddaughter of Maharaja Sri Sadul Singhji and great-granddaughter of Maharaja Sri Ganga Singhji of Bikaner.
Now a palace and a heritage hotel, the Lallgarh palace consists of a mix of Indian, European and Mughal architecture. It is estimated that the palace cost Rs. 100,000 to build and was designed by British architect Swinton Jacob. The grand exteriors are made of red stone, and the floors are of marble. Out of the many highlights of the luxurious space, is the palace dining room that can comfortably house 400 guests at a time. The palace also has the fourth largest private library in the world, which is filled with handwritten books.
As for the other parts of the palace, one can experience the lush greenery in the beautiful gardens that is filled with trees and blossoming flowers. Princess Rajyashree Kumari of Bikaner is often seen posting her courtyard photos on her official Instagram handle.
With part of the palace is now a heritage hotel, there’s also a section that is conserved into a museum known as the Sri Sardul Museum. The museum preserves old paintings and traces of wildlife. If you happen to stay in the heritage hotel, you can get a feel of the magnificent property that also has an indoor swimming pool. Remember the Sonam Kapoor, Fawad Khan starrer movie Khoobsurat? A part of it was shot here.
Apart from being a member of the royal family, Rajyashree Kumari has bagged several titles under her name. In 1968 she won the Arjuna Award in shooting at sixteen years of age. She has also authored several books titled “The Lallgarh Palace – Home Of The Maharajas Of Bikaner”, “The Maharajas Of Bikaner” and “Palace of Clouds - A Memoir”. She is also the mother of Anupama Kumari, Sajjan Sinh.
